But After Everything, You're Still Here
by Q-BriarXJade-Q
Summary: Third in a trio of one-shots; follows Forbidden and Fairy Tale Smile. Draco's finally grown up, took him long enough. Finally, he may just know what love really is.


STOP.

This is the third in a trio of one-shots. It will be FAR BETTER if you go and read Forbidden, then Fairy Tale Smile, THEN this one. Thank you for your time, Briar

o0o0o0o

I can't believe you! You locked me out of the bedroom! We've had rows before, but never once in the time we've been married have you made me sleep downstairs on the couch! What are we, now, the Weasleys?

Honestly? Do you want to know what I think? You're wrong. You're so blinded by your idea of how it should be that you can't see how good you have it. You say I don't love you. At least, I'm pretty sure that's what you shrieked as you chucked that vase at me.

How can you even say that?

Do you honestly believe it?

How could I not love you? It's been ten years that we've been together, Hermione, and you're still stuck on what I said on our wedding night. I was an immature prat, all right? A sodding git! I admit that I was a very messed up person. The thoughts in my head didn't make sense, all right? If you truly thought that, you should have left me by now!

But after everything, you're still here.

I do love you, Hermione.

I can put it into words now. I'm not that teenage boy anymore, I'm well into my thirties, or at least a couple years in, and I'd like to think I've matured a bit. At least, I've matured well enough to tell you what you always wanted to hear, but better, it's true now.

I love you. I love everything about you. I love how lost you can get in a book. _Any _book. I love the way you scrunch up your button nose and the way I can come home from work and find you with your hands stained with ink. I love how you fought to let you work, and the shock on your face when I gave in without a fight. I love how you take care of our beautiful children.

How can you think I don't love you? Because of some stupid thing I said when we were just kids? Don't you see me look at you? You never told me anything was wrong! Believe me, Hermione, if I had known, if I had an inkling of how you felt, it would have been different within a day!

Hermione, if I had known how you felt about my long hours, they would have ceased in an instant. If I knew you harbored jealousy toward my secretary, who I never so much as looked at, I would have fired her on the spot. If you though I wasn't loving enough towards you, I would have spent every spare moment I had making you feel like the fairy tale princess that you _are_. You should have left by now, you know, if you truly thought I felt this way.

But after everything, you're still here.

You won't believe me. Even if I pounded on our bedroom door, shouting myself hoarse, telling you how much I care about you, you wouldn't believe me. But, darling, the proof is right in front of your eyes.

If I didn't love you, wouldn't I have left by now?

If I didn't love you, wouldn't I be one of the scoundrels, an unfaithful husband? Wouldn't I be charming every random beauty in the streets? If I didn't love you, wouldn't I stay away from home for weeks at a time?

If I didn't love you, would I still be with you?

I could leave. I could leave and never come back. I could get another wife too. Even at thirty, I'm a Malfoy.

But I don't want to leave. Because I love you. Every time I look at you it's as though it's the first time. No matter how many lovely witches there are out there, you will always be the most beautiful one to me. No matter how many richer, you will always be my treasure. No matter how many more elegant, you will always be my fairy tale princess.

I love you, and I will never leave you.

You said you didn't love me, either. It cut me straight to the heart. I _do _love you, and to hear to say that… but now, I think that either you're deluded, or you're lying. You ought to have left by now. You've been putting up with me for ten years. You've put up with the awful man I realize I've been. Any moment, while I was at work, you could have simply packed your bags, grabbed the bags, and been gone in a matter of minutes. That's what you could, would, and should have done, if you didn't love me.

But after everything, you're still here.

You're still here, and so am I. I love you. And I know that somewhere deep inside, you must love me too. Please realize it. I'll stay on the couch tonight, for you. I hope that you'll cool down, my darling. I do love you. You'll know that, my darling, you will, Hermione. In the morning.

I would be afraid to leave you alone, you know. I would be afraid that you would leave in the dead of night. I would pound on the door and scream myself hoarse, telling you the truth. A very un-Malfoy thing to do, you know, but I would. I truly would, if I thought I wouldn't get another chance.

But after everything, you're still here.

So it can wait for morning.


End file.
